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The second half of the current third season of AMC's ratings-smashing drama series The Walking Dead kicks off in a few short weeks, and the network has released a new poster that teases what's to come. If you'll remember, the midseason finale left David Morrissey's nefarious The Governor in a rather dark place, and this poster hints at an epic face off between the villainous character and Andrew Lincoln's Rick. This season has by far been the most entertaining of the series, and while AMC recently ordered an upcoming fourth season of the drama, showrunner Glen Mazzara (who was responsible for the season three upswing) is unfortunately leaving the series over a "difference of opinion" on how to proceed going forward.
Hit the jump to check out the new poster. Season three of The Walking Dead continues on February 10th.
Here's AMC's synopsis for the second half of the third season:
With his group in tatters, his sanity in question, and his own son questioning his every move, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) must somehow pull everyone together to face their greatest challenge — the Governor (David Morrissey). In order to survive, he must risk everything, including the group's very humanity.


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In an interview with So I'm Fifty, Above World author Jenn Reese talks about her planning process, including figuring out what her "candy-bar" scenes are:
I am an unrepentant planner. When I start working on an idea, I write everything down in a Moleskine notebook that never leaves my side – not while I'm at work, not while I'm asleep, not ever. The notebook is basically an external brain where I trap every single thought related to the book, including all the stupid ones I'll never use.
Candy-bar scenes are another big thing for me. First, I should note that "candy-bar scenes" come from author Holly Lisle (hollylisle.com) who has a lot of great advice on her website. I list every scene that I'm dying to write – a first kiss, a fight scene with a particular kind of weapon or in a neat setting, a surprising twist that I can't wait to spring on my characters. I have to know the big final scene of the novel (at least what it means to the main character), and it must be a candy-bar scene, a scene that I can't wait to write. If it's not, then it's not the right final scene and I have to keep thinking.
Once I've got the ending, I start to sketch out an outline – only a few brief sentences per chapter or just a chronological list of beats. I like to have structure, but to leave enough room for unexpected turns or for a side character to become more interesting. If I plan everything out too much, then it's not as fun for me to write.
Having said all that, I think processes should stay fluid. I'm continually changing as a writer and a person, and each story is different. I like to think that I'll keep adapting as I go.
Read the rest of the interview over at the link. [So I'm Fifty]

subset: commoncrawl


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The dominant society or group within believes they control the conversation. What would happen if we trusted each other and made ourselves vulnerable? What would happen if we acknowledged and accepted differences? It takes courage, but it is possible. It takes us to acknowledge the other and reach out. In those moments of vulnerability and courage, we expose our self in ways that take us outside comfort zones.
There is courage in vulnerability
One sits on the edge;
The perimeter
Or margins
Not hidden in the crowd.
Expand boundaries–
Encourage and pull
Do not discourage and pull
Make invisible visible
Give a name to the other.
Create spaces;
Not for agreement
But, where agreement meets
On the edges
Reveal the other in your welcome.


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Welcome to the University of Vermont Board of Trustees website. These pages are intended to provide you with a direct connection to the Board's meeting schedule, agendas and minutes, current committee assignments, and contact information.
The Board of Trustees has full legal responsibility and authority for the University of Vermont, including entire management and control of property and affairs of the university. The Board of Trustees sets and approves policies, budgets and strategic planning. The Board also appoints the president of the university.
The Board of Trustees at the University of Vermont consists of 25 members (9 legislative, 9 self-perpetuating, 3 gubernatorial, and 2 students; the Governor and the President of the University of Vermont serve as ex-officio members during their terms of office). Each member serves a 6-year term, with the exception of the student members who serve 2 year terms. All terms begin on March 1.
In odd-numbered years, three members are elected by the Vermont General Assembly for six-year terms, and the nine trustees so chosen constitute the Board of the Vermont Agricultural College established in 1865. In even-numbered years, three members are elected to six-year terms by a self-perpetuating board of nine trustees who constitute the Board of the University of Vermont founded in 1791. Three trustees are appointed by the Governor of Vermont, one during each odd-numbered year. Each year, one of two students who serve as trustees is selected by the Associate Directors for the Appointment of The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College Student Trustees, Inc., for a two-year term.
Last modified September 25 2013 02:22 PM


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This twat is heading to Denver Sept. 10th for daughter in laws knee surgery until the 17th. Keeping fingers cross everybody is well here.
Would be good to catch a visit with you all.
We're heading out on September 9 for a two week road trip.
Can't go wrong with "Get Smart"!


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Minor Arcana Press is a small press located in Seattle, WA that empowers overlooked and outsider authors and artists through publication, publicity, and community.
They are currently accepting submissions for single-author poetry and short fiction chapbook and full length book manuscripts, as well as multi-author anthology proposals.
For more info on how to publish a poetry collection, check out this guest blog post by Sandra Beasley "7 Tips on publishing your poetry."
Click here read submission guidelines.
DEADLINE: March 5, 2017
FORMS: poetry chapbooks and full-length collections, short fiction chapbooks and full length collections, and anthology proposals
DUOTROPE: https://duotrope.com/listing/11814
If you like this post, please share with your writerly friends and/or follow my blog or like my Facebook page. You can see all the FREE resources my blog offers poets/writers on my Blog Tour page.
Categories: Call for Submissions


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Model: M-6006
Size: 2000*2000*2000mm
Capacity: 3-5 Persons
Voltage: 110V/220V/380V
Sauna stove: 8KW
Rated Voltage: AC220-240V
Rated Frequency: LF50HZ
Control circuit voltage: DC12V
Wood Material
Benefits does Infrared sauna have?
|Sauna Room body and Bench (Canadian Cedar Wood):
|Tempered Glass(8MM):
|HARVIA Sauna Stove:
|Wood Frame around Sauna stove:
|HARVIA Sand glass:
|HARVIA hygrothermograph:
|HARVIA sauna wood vat:
|1 pc
|HARVIA sauna wood spoon:
|HARVIA sauna stove:
|LED lights:
|1 batch
|LED Strip Light:
|1 pc
|LED control system:
|1 set
|Stainless handle(inside is wood):
|1 set
|Stainless steel hinge:
|1 set
Finnish HAVIA
HAVIA, a professional sauna manufacturer who founded in 1950 and created a series of Sauna products. From heater and sauna benches, our company choose the best material and fittings to provide clients the best Sauna enjoyment.
HARVIA Heater
This kind of heater is easy-to-use, and the stainless steel outer casing of the heater gives your sauna a modern look. It is easy to mount on a separate mounting rack. Because of the symmetrical design, there is no need to change the handedness of the heater - it is simply selected. Electrical connections are made from the side of the heater, which makes installation easy. The special structure makes it possible to mount the heater low on the sauna wall. This allows the heat to spread evenly throughout the sauna, ensuring that the lower benches also enjoy plenty of heat.
Sauna Stone
Sauna stones are selected according to old traditions and convey a genuine sauna atmosphere. It can provide good and soft heat, because they can store lots of heat and the water evaporates efficiently from the wide surface of fracture. The special shape of stone also can make the hot stones and heating elements to heating effectively. Good air circulation in the stone space makes the electric heating elements last for as long as possible.
Colorful LED Lights & Touch panel
Fashion touch control panel and easy to operation. 7 colors transform brings you a romantic and relaxed Sauna leisure enjoyment.
HARVIA sauna wood vat & HARVIA sauna wood spoon
Using the vat and spoon to add some water to the stove to increase the inside temperature and moisture according to your need.
Wood Frame around Sauna stove
Hygrothermograph & HARVIA Sand glass
Stainless handle(inside is wood)& Stainless steel hinge
Recommended products for you


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The APSB was founded in 1931 and was the first society for the registration of ponies established in Australia.
Today, there are ten pure bred pony breeds plus four pony registers under the APSB umbrella.
No other society can offer so many different pony breeds under the one registration.
Please visit our 'How to' page for more information on how to become a member or register a pony
The extent of activities suitable for any of the APSB pony breeds is as endless as your imagination.
Each breed has proven itself in many fields of equine sports, from the absolute elite of the show world
to the fundamental use of a pony as a reliable mount and friend for a child.


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The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards is now searching for a director of investigations to replace Rex Staples (left), whose last day will be Friday.
Staples, who was appointed CFP Board's top cop in March 2012, headed a nine-person team to enforce the CFP Board's standards of professional compliance.
CFP Board said in a statement that Staples was leaving "to become more involved in complex areas of securities regulation and administration."
At least one published report had linked Staples' upcoming departure with the sudden resignation last fall of Alan Goldfarb, the former chairman of the Board of Directors of the CFP Board, after he was found to have violated the CFP Board's rules of conduct.
The CFP Board said Goldfarb had failed to properly disclose his compensation, and then the CFP Board's Disciplinary and Ethics Commission that investigated the matter issued a public letter of admonition for Goldfarb's conduct.
But CFP Board spokesman Dan Drummond told ThinkAdvisor that there's "no connection between Staples' decision to resign and the compensation disclosure issues [related to Goldfarb] or any other pending matters."
Staples took charge of the CFP Board's investigation process and reported to Michael Shaw, managing director for professional standards and legal. A former general counsel for the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), he was the CFP Board's first director of investigations.
CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller told ThinkAdvisor last year that Staples would help ensure that the enforcement process was expedient, consistent and fair to all of the participants, as well as being credible to the public. To that end, he was "responsible for insuring we are investigating cases in an expedient way and [that] they're brought to the disciplinary and ethics commission in a way that helps them make their decision," Keller said at the time.
Check out CFP Board's Keller Says New 'Top Cop' Will Beef Up Investigations on ThinkAdvisor.


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View all calendars is the default. Choose Select a calendar to view a specific calendar. Subscribe to calendar notifications by clicking on the Notify Me button and you will automatically be alerted of the latest events in our community.
October 8, 2019, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM @ Carrboro Century Center - Century Hall
Parents and young children (5 & under) can come enjoy some unstructured playtime in the spacious Century Hall. There will be music to dance to, blocks, crawl tunnels, and other toys to play with and plenty of space. It will be a great opportunity to meet new friends and playmates. No registration required.
Ages: 1-5
October 8, 2019, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM @ Grey Culbreth Middle School Gymnasium (located in back left of school)
The Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department Drop-In programs allow participants the opportunity to play in an informal setting and to meet others of similar sporting interest. Groups are welcome to attend. Ages: 16+ (Experienced players 15&U are welcomed to attend w/ a parent)


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Having been in touch with John Racing Hippo Kennard of late, I was hoping to get up to visit Kirklees a week or two ago...things haven't gone to plan lately..
I was wondering whether it might be worth trying to arrange a Gnotters trip later in the year? (We might be able to persuade John to show us things! )..even better if we could get the Gnortherners to arrange a trip on the same day In fact.. why not have a Gnatterbox day??:lol: ..getting carried away sorry..
If we're all up for it, it's probably be best to pick a date well in the future as I know that these things can get complicated to arrange once you try and get more than two people in the same place at the same time
Any thoughts? Interested? When? Solo or with spouses / families.. etc?


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Welcome to Oracle Communities
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Clinton Kelly's Hosting Tips
The Chew's Clinton Kelly Talks TV and Hosting For the Holidays
He stays busy as a media personality, author, fashion consultant, and designer, but even Clinton Kelly — of ABC's The Chew and TLC's What Not to Wear — believes in the importance of slowing down for the holidays. Despite it being the busiest time of the year, the television star took a moment to chat with us about his holiday menu, what still makes him nervous, and how to deal in that awkward moment when the first person arrives alone to your holiday party.
YumSugar: What are you making for the holidays?
Clinton Kelly: I'm spending Christmas Eve with my entire family at my sister's house on Long Island.
Then I'm going to come back and spend Christmas morning with my husband, Damon, in New York City, and then we're going to go to Connecticut to see some more family. My sister's asked me to bring a salad, and I'm bringing something I just whipped up the other night with endive, candied walnuts, blue cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. She's serving seafood fra diavolo over angel hair, so that'll be a fun Christmas dinner. I'm embarrassed to say I have not decided yet what to cook for Christmas lunch; I figure I'll go to the butcher and see what looks beautiful and try to be inspired. I'm thinking about maybe beef tenderloin with horseradish crème fraiche and roasted potatoes.
YS: Holiday leftovers are always a big thing. What do you suggest doing with them?
Find out Clinton's answer when you read more.
CK: My favorite things are sandwiches, frittatas, and soups. You have to have great bread so you can have a nice toasted sandwich with turkey and cranberry sauce. If you're making a turkey for Christmas, the best turkey soup I've found is this: you take your turkey carcass, and you boil that. You pick all the meat and bones out, and then you strain the broth. Sauté the basic vegetables in a pan: a couple of carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Then I add the vegetables to the strained broth and add noodles. It's almost like a consommé plus sautéed vegetables; it's the best.
YS: If you had one piece of advice for someone entertaining at home this holiday, what would it be?
CK: Manage your own expectations of the holiday. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be the perfect host, to make sure everybody has a great time. It's important to prepare — you really need to sort of think your party through — but you have to say, "If I go off my timeline, everything's fine." Because the host always sets the tone for a party. If you're stressed out, your guests always feel it, and they're like, "I can't wait to get out of here," because it doesn't look like the host or the hostess is having fun. So you have to do what you have to do to get yourself in a really great mood. Maybe that's a glass of wine, a nip of a Xanax. Maybe it's meditation. Go for a run; do what you have to do just to make sure you are in the best possible mood.
YS: How do you personally accomplish that?
CK: I try to get everything done at least an hour before I expect people to arrive. That last hour, it's just me putting on some music that I like, going over the finishing touches of the party, and having a glass of wine, either by myself or with Damon, and just enjoying the moment before people get there, and not getting into that whole routine of being frazzled before they get there: "My God, did I put the olives out? Is there a little container for the pits?" And when they get there, they get there. You know when you have a party, and the first person there, it's always awkward? I always save a little task for them. I'll be like, "Can you do me a favor? Can you cut up some lime wedges for me for the gin and tonics?" I always find that the first person there likes to do that. They're just happy to be doing something rather than standing around awkwardly.
YS: It's so reassuring to know I'm not the only person who's had that awkward experience.
CK: I just want everybody to be happy and feel at home. I tell people, "If you want anything, go into my refrigerator and grab it."
YS: And what are you doing for New Year's?
CK: I am not a big New Year's person, actually. I don't think I've been awake for New Year's when the ball drops in about seven years. I'm going to be 44 next year, and in my old age, I've turned into a morning person. I'm up every morning at 5:30, so staying up until midnight is pure torture. I wish you knew me when I was 35, as it was a very different experience. Where I am in my life right now, it's about spending time with the people I love most. People come up to me all day every day, and they're like, "What do you think of my outfit?" and "Can I take a picture with you?" So on New Year's Eve I kind of don't want to deal with that. I want to have a couple of glasses of Champagne and be with my family rather than taking pictures with people I don't know.
YS: It's been nearly a year and a half since The Chew's been on the air. It got a lot of backlash from soap lovers. How do you think everyone's responding now?
CK: The fact that we were renewed is a testament to how people have embraced us. I took a lot of flak on my Twitter and Facebook pages from people who were angry that their soap was canceled. Of course my cohosts and I had absolutely nothing to do with that. At the beginning of The Chew, we were struggling to find ourselves. There had never been a show like ours on TV. The only people who knew each other were Michael Symon and Mario Batali. So there were five people trying to have chemistry and do a new TV show, and it was kind of hard. Now I will tell you that I adore those guys. I am proud to call them friends, and I mean that in the truest sense of the word friends. Michael and his wife and Mario and his wife, and Carla and her husband, and Daphne came over to my apartment last Tuesday night, and we just had the best time. I think that because we're actually friends in life now, that it's translating onto the screen. People contact me every single day, by the dozens, saying how much they love The Chew, how much it really shows that we're friends, and it's part of their own family.
YS: Do you have an episode where you had the most fun of your life?
CK: I do a thing called Dear Fabby, and I did this one where somebody asked me the question, "What do I do? I go to my family's house for the holidays, and they eat off of paper plates, and they use plastic utensils." So I gave them advice and said, "Maybe you can gift them a nice flatware set, or some plates. Or you can just bring your own blender and everybody can just drink their food." I actually blended up a plate of Christmas roast beef, potatoes, and vegetables, and then drank it. People were flipping out.
YS: Who's been your favorite guest on The Chew so far?
CK: Today Olivia Newton-John's on the show, and she's my all-time favorite guest, because I'm obsessed with Olivia Newton-John. This is her second time on the show, and on today's show we did something called Christmas karaoke. I challenged Olivia Newton-John to a contest: who could finish the lyrics in certain karaoke songs, and it was a blast. JoBeth Williams was awesome; she's the mom from Poltergeist. When I was 13, I watched the movie Poltergeist literally 100 times, and I memorized the whole thing. So JoBeth Williams came on; she plays the mom and I kind of flipped out over her as well. There've only been a couple of guests I haven't really liked, and I will not mention their names.
YS: As a celebrity chef, is there anything in the spotlight that still gives you the jitters?
CK: I get a little bit nervous about chopping sometimes. Last year, before The Chew even started, I was on Good Morning America. They gave us a challenge to make a sandwich or something like that. Before they said "action," I hit my finger into a knife, so now we're on live television, and I'm in the middle of Times Square, and my finger is bleeding, and Carla and I are in this competition. I could not believe it was happening. I wanted to vomit. So now when there are knives on the show I get a little bit nervous. I'm not one of those chefs who can close their eyes and chop an onion.
YS: Everyone's over 2012 and thinking ahead to 2013. What do you think will be in next year, and what will be out?
CK: What I would like to think is that there will be a return to those more glamorous meals — like Downton Abbey, for example. They're always in the kitchen, and there's a bit of glamour to the food, even though it's sort of basic food. That's what I think will start happening. I don't have a crystal ball, and I'm not really the food trend guy necessarily, but I really do like the idea of going back to the basic things that we've cooked. I really hope that there'll be a movement away from heavily processed food, and us returning to eating natural food and eating a little bit more seasonally. I hope that's what's going to happen.
YS: What's next for you?
CK: So if 2013's anything like 2012, I expect to be just as exhausted as I was this year. I'm doing both The Chew and What Not to Wear, so it's killing me. I'm also a Macy's spokesman so we've got some stuff happening for Macy's. Other than work, work, work, I'm not sure what else is going to be on the agenda. I'm just going to work my butt off four days a week and then spend the other three days of the week cooking and eating and just hanging out with my friends and family.
For a less-processed version of an American favorite, try Clinton's recipe for homemade green bean casserole with blanched green beans in béchamel, Sargento cheese, caramelized onions, and a puff pastry topping.


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- Home
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111th Annual Conference
Friday, November 1, 2013 to Sunday, November 3, 2013
Bahia Resort Hotel
San Diego, California
Sponsored by University of San Diego; University of California, San Diego; California State University, San Marcos; Palomar College; and the National Center for the Study of Children's Literature at San Diego State University.
General Information
The 2013 PAMLA conference was held at the Bahia Resort Hotel in San Diego, California. We were right on Mission Bay--attendees could walk out of their hotel room and be on the beach--and a five minute walk from the ocean. We were just a short taxi or car ride from downtown San Diego, and Saturday night we offered complimentary shuttle service to various points in San Diego.
The Presidential Address was delivered by Lorely French, Pacific University (PAMLA's 2012-2013 President). The Plenary Address was delivered by Shelley Streeby, University of California, San Diego. And the Creative Artist Spotlight speakers were Rae Armantrout and Marilyn Chin.
Special Theme
The special theme for the 2013 PAMLA conference was "Stages of Life: Age, Identity, and Culture." The theme inspired special sessions dealing with all aspects of the intersection of Age, Identity, and Culture, from Childhood Studies to Aging Studies. Special sessions explored such issues as the analysis of "age" as depicted in literary and cultural products; children's literature, film, and culture; childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age as constructed or performed identities; the ways that literature and media depict and construct concepts of age, in much the same way that ethnic, Marxist, and gender studies explore ethnicity, class, sexuality, and gender formation.
Additional information about the 2013 conference has been archived. You may download a copy of the program below.
Conference Program:


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I just got a refurbed M7510 that has:
- A 1TB hard drive
OS is Windows 10 Pro.
I noticed that it came with C: being the hard drive and D: being the SSD , and doing some early googling, this seems like anomaly with Dells?
I'm a long time BING user, and haven't gotten BBM yet, but if it can help me get this machine configured "correctly" (with the C: being the SSD and the D: being the hard drive) and (b) maybe get rid of the 100MG reserved partition, and (c) deal with the UEFI BIOS, then maybe it's time to take the plunge.
Does anyone here have one of these laptops, or any of the other similar Dells? Can BBM help me?
FYI, it didn't come with the recovery media, but I was able to get it downloaded from Dell onto a USB stick that I can boot to using the F12 button to select boot device.


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tags: African Diaries: Sketches and Observations, nature, wildlife, field research, Africa, David G. Derrick, book review
I love art, birds and travel, and because Africa has such a huge variety of exotic wildlife that I've only ever seen in zoos and aviaries, it is high on my list of places to visit. Recently, David G. Derrick, Jr., the author of a new book that combines art and African wildlife into an unusual diary format, asked if I would like to read and review his new book, African Diaries: Sketches & Observations (self-published, 2008).
This slim paperback is an unusual travel diary because it is comprised of more than 140 of hand-drawn pictures of people and animals, along with accompanying photographs and hand0written notes, all created while the author was traveling through Kenya, Africa.
The book opens with a hand drawn map of Kenya that shows the route that Derrick followed during his visit in the summer of 2008. On the facing page are his first diary entries detailing of the aircraft he flew in on, along with an excited note that the first wildlife that he saw were two African crowned cranes. He also records the smells of Kenya and even takes a moment to wonder if his luggage arrived.
The book is divided into sections defined by the stops along the author's route or by the animal species that he found particularly fascinating. Each section is filled with sketches and notes documenting Derrick's observations of the birds and wildlife, people and landscapes he found along his travels. His journey begins in the capital, Nairobi, which is characterized by a curious juxtaposition of the old (donkeys pulling carts) and the new (cell phones). After spending time in the nearby Nairobi National Park and giraffe watching in Giraffe Manor, Derrick moves on to Amboseli National Park, where he becomes enamored by a group of nomadic Maasai, a number of whom he ended up drawing, and by wild elephants, whose skin changes hue depending upon their surroundings. He was so impressed by the elephants that, while in the field, Derrick creates a bronze sculpture of a large and very distinctive bull elephant (below), and the final product is pictured in the book. This sculpture was later the victim of a vervet monkey who bit one of the ears off when searching the author's belongings for food.
But the wildlife that the author documents was not limited to just the Amboseli elephants. The author also devotes pages to documenting rhino, giraffe, cheetahs, lion and hyena behaviors; observations of an agama sitting on a sun-bleached hippo skull; huge herds of Grant's and Thomson's gazelles, zebra and wildebeast, more commonly known by the onomatopoeic Swahili name, gnu (pictured below); cape buffalo, warthogs, marabou storks (pictured bottom) and other animals.
One particularly affecting series of images were those that documented a male lion with a kill. The author wrote in his sketch book; "We were so close to the lion that I could hear bones crunch and flesh tear. Being so close for the first time to a large male lion my heart was pounding and adrenaline running. Fortunately I was able to calm my nerves enough to dash off these sketches."
But my favorite individual pictures were a black-on-white painting of a lone red-billed hornbill, 16 pages from the end of the book and the black-on-white painting of a Go-Away Bird (unfortunately, I could not find these particular images to share with you).
But Derrick recognizes that Africa is not a paradise; there are plenty of hidden dangers as well. During his travels, the author meet and draws some of the native peoples of Kenya, and mentions a massacre that occurred in the Nakuru district a few months prior to his visit.
Overall, this book is a rare combination of a field trip narrative with art and science. The drawings, paintings and photographs provide the sense that you are there experiencing these events alongside the author, seeing the animals and the people through his eyes. Even though this is a paperback, it is printed on heavy paper and the images are of high enough quality that you can actually see the grain of the paper upon which the sketches and paintings were originally created. If you are a fan of Africa, its wildlife and native peoples, or if you are attracted by the synergy between art and science, then you will enjoy this book.
David Derrick is a professional artist and author who studied fine arts at the University of Utah and at the California Institute of the Arts. While he was still a student, his films attracted a lot of recognition, including a student Emmy Award. He has since worked on many big budget Hollywood films including Bee Movie, Over the Hedge, Flushed Away and is currently helping create the sequel to Kung Fu Panda. He previously published Kadogo The Next Big Thing (Dark Horse, 2008) and Scrambled Ink (Dark Horse, 2008). African Diaries is his third book. Derrick works for DreamWorks Animation and lives in the Los Angeles area.
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Wiktionary says "gnu" is from Nama. It can't be from Swahili because Swahili doesn't permit "gn" at the beginning of a word.
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Assemblyman and congressional candidate David Weprin bowed out of a scheduled debate against opponent Bob Turner in Queens on Monday night, with his campaign stating that due to the hurricane, traveling to the debate was impossible.
Hmm, we wonder what all of those people who got up Monday morning and somehow made it to their jobs - approximately 12 hours before the debate was even scheduled - think about that excuse?
Well, the Turner campaign didn't waste any time jumping on Weprin dropping out. First, Turner's camp mocked him.
Turner's people sent out a press release offering to pick Weprin up and drive him to the debate. Then they sent a Turner campaign volunteer out to Weprin's office in Forest Hills and had him drive to the debate location - Bel Mondo Restaurant in Middle Village - to show that it could be done. To prove it, they even sent a photo of the campaign volunteer's car in front of Weprin's office, which is apparently doubling as a C-Town supermarket.
We did think press release did include this pretty hilarious statement:
"Our intrepid volunteer braved sunny skies and clear roadways this afternoon to chart the course between Mr. Weprin's headquarters in Forest Hills and the site of tonight's debate in Middle Village," said Turner campaign spokesman William O'Reilly. "What he discovered is that, indeed, the 22-minute trip can be made, if one is willing to brave two turns and several traffic lights. Now that he knows the route, our volunteer is offering to pick up and drop off Mr. Weprin this evening - so Mr. Weprin can no longer say he can't get there."
Then the Turner campaign tried to surmise a reason for Weprin backing out of the debate, and suggested that Weprin was stinging from a scathing piece in The Daily News the day before the debate, lambasting Weprin for failing to know the size of the nation's debt.
Here's the exchange between Weprin and the News editorial board that was printed on Sunday:
Daily News: "Right now, how big is the debt?"
Weprin: (Pause) "Trillions."
News: "But how many?"
Weprin: (Deer in headlights look.) "I got caught up on this once before," referring to his inability while running unsuccessfully for city controller in 2009 to state that office's budget.
News: "This is central to what is going on in Washington."
Weprin: "About 4 trillion."
News: "Four trillion is the debt?"
Weprin: "Right."
Well, he was off only by a $10 trillion order of magnitude.
That's pretty embarrassing, indeed, but what the Turner campaign conveniently left out of all of its releases and statements was the other half of the story, and that was the account of his sit down with the same editorial board.
Turner was also heavily criticized, namely for opposing the proposed Islamic cultural center in Lower Manhattan and the federal James Zadroga act, which will provide compensation and health care to 9/11 first responders, without having a real grasp of the complexity of the issues.
In fact, if the Daily News piece was supposed to be an endorsement, judging from the headline - "Candidates in congressional special election are enough to make voters yearn for Anthony Weiner" - it appears the news is endorsing the man who was forced to resign from office! Can you say "write-in candidate?"
Well, both Turner and Weprin are going to get a do-over of sorts, as both are sitting down with this paper's editorial board this week, unfortunately after Pol Position is forced to go to press. (Not that it would have mattered. There's no way we would have been allowed in the meeting, or even within a three-block radius of Ledger/Star HQ!)
So check this paper next week for our endorsement. We're reasonably confident it won't be for Anthony Weiner (reasonably confident).


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June 30, 2008 — Industrialization is taking its toll on Vietnam's environment and more funds should be dedicated to fighting pollution, the World Bank said in a study published on June 27. Between 1990 and 2005 Vietnam achieved an average annual growth rate of 7.5% in gross domestic product, driven largely by the industrial sector, but little was being done to protect the environment, the study said.
"There is a growing pressure on the government to raise public expenditure on pollution control and to force business to do the same," the study said. "The cost to the economy of pollution, which is increasing in volume and toxicity, are becoming evident to the government and the public at large."
Funds dedicated to fighting pollution gradually grew from 2000 to 2005, when it reached $600 million , But the bank said Vietnam needed about $2.5 billion to adequately address the problem.
Five provinces or big cities, including the financial hub Ho Chi Minh City and capital Hanoi, are home to 63% of manufacturing jobs and nearly 55% of the country's industrial firms. "Industrial pollution is highly concentrated in certain areas of the country, and originates from a few manufacturing subsectors," the study said.The manufacturing of chemical products and shoes were among the top polluters in the country, the bank said.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2008
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Pollution, Vietnam, World Bank | Leave a comment »


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Cassandra: The Definitive Guide Book Review
Cassandra, one of the many recent database systems riding on the coattails of the NoSQL mantra, has made inroads among some of the more notable websites today. Written by Eben Hewitt, this book claims to be the definitive guide on the subject. Is it? Read on to find out.The book opens its introductory chapter asking the question "What's wrong with relational databases?" upon which the author proceeds to point out RDBMS strengths and weaknesses, followed by the Cassandra "elevator pitch" on what makes it a better choice for highly scalable, available, fault-tolerant, high performance and schema-free solution. A brief history of the project is followed by chapters on installing Cassandra and getting acquainted with its command line interface (creating a keyspace, column family and writing/reading data). Chapter 3 details the Cassandra data model, clustering, columns, rows, sorting and design patterns. A hotel reservation example Java application is demonstrated in Chapter 4, showing how the data model is constructed, the schema is defined in YAML, connecting, populating and searching. Chapter 5 reviews Cassandra's architecture, from its system keyspace, compaction and bloom filters to tombstones, managers and services, and messaging. Chapters 6, 7 and 8 cover configuration (including cluster, replication, and security settings), reading and writing data (including consistency levels, slice predicates and ranges and deletions), and clients (including Thrift, Avro, Hector, Chiton, Pelops, Kundera and Fauna). Chapters 9 through 11 cover monitoring (logging, JMX messaging, etc.), maintenance (obtaining statistics, managing load balancing), and performance tuning (storage, concurrency, caching, stress tests and JVM settings). The final chapter written by contributing writer Jeremy Hanna concludes on the topic of integrating Hadoop, the Apache Project's set of open source tools for managing large distributed data sets. Examples of a simple MapReduce job, along with several useful tools (Pig, Hive) and other best practices are suggested.
While the book supplies examples primarily written in Java, interfaces to Cassandra for popular languages like C#, Python, Ruby and Scala also exist, though no such code examples make it into the book. Due to Cassandra's Java-centricity, some developers may be put off by it due to the uncertainty in Java's future ownership direction and the fact that there are several other competing NoSQL choices vying for developer's attention these days. Thankfully, the author included an appendix that briefly explores these other choices (such as CouchDB, FlockDB, MongoDB and many others), comparing their implementation language, if it is distributed or requires a schema, what API talks to the client, the respective CAP (Consistency, Availability, Partition Tolerance) support and big website name production use. The book also has a glossary of the terms many new to the world of distributed database systems may need to get more familiar with.
In conclusion, Cassandra, a Java-based NoSQL system open-sourced by Facebook in 2008, is being used by some recognizable websites (especially among techies) including Cisco, Rackspace, Reddit, Twitter and of course, Facebook themselves. Given the technical pedigree of these high traffic web properties employing Cassandra is a testament to its robust durability. And while I hesitate agreeing that this book is indeed the 'Definitive Guide', it certainly does offer a valuable introduction to the technology. Future editions should consider having at least an appendix demonstrating how other languages besides Java talk to Cassandra, and a real gem would be a case study with a heavily invested Cassandra user like Facebook on how they implemented it, what works and what doesn't, and what's on their wishlist. But for now, the first edition of the book greases the wheels for developers and DBA's interested in learning what Cassandra has to offer.
Title: Cassandra: The Definitive Guide Author: Eben Hewitt Publisher: O'Reilly Media ISBN: 978-1-4493-9041-9 Pages: 336 Price: $31.99 (Ebook), $39.99 (Print)


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WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- The nation marked the 40th anniversary last week of Roe vs. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that recognized a woman's right to an abortion.
But the debates over abortion, and over the so-called morning after pill which some also consider abortion, are far from over.
The decision in a case out of Texas still evokes strong emotions from opponents and supporters. The annual March for Life, in which tens of thousands of abortion opponents march from the National Mall up Constitution Avenue to break like a huge wave against the guarded plaza of the Supreme Court, was held Friday to avoid last Monday's inauguration crowds.
Jeanne Monahan took over the reins of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund in November after the death of founder Nellie Gray in August at age 88. The fund is responsible for organizing and running the march and other activities surrounding it each year since 1974, the first anniversary of the decision.
Before her previous job as director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, Monahan served in various capacities at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services until its increasing support for abortion caused her to resign in 2009, the fund said.
In an email before last week's event, Monahan said the march crowd could be big this year.
"We don't have a formal estimate but are seeing indicators that we will have record breaking crowds. Our hotel block was sold out much earlier than in the past and media inquiries have been more numerous than ever before!"
Organizers have estimated the size of past crowds at 400,000, though police estimates have been lower.
Monahan also said there has been no loss in fervor among participants.
"No, in fact just the opposite!" Monahan said. "Opinion polls also reveal that Americans are becoming more pro-life. Young Americans are also predominantly pro-life."
She adds, "I am more hopeful [at least in the next four years] that we will continue enacting strong pro-life laws at the level of the state, which significantly decrease the number of abortions."
As usual, despite the size of the march, the protest was peaceful.
Written by the late Justice Harry Blackmun and handed down on Jan. 22, 1973, the 7-2 opinion in Roe said in part, "State criminal abortion laws, like those involved here, that exempt from criminality only a life-saving procedure on the mother's behalf without regard to the stage of her pregnancy and other interests involved violate the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, which protects against state action the right to privacy, including a woman's qualified right to terminate her pregnancy."
Blackmun conceded a state "has legitimate interests in protecting both the pregnant woman's health and the potentiality of human life, each of which interests grows and reaches a 'compelling' point at various stages of the woman's approach to term." But an abortion, until the onset of a third trimester, "must be left to the medical judgment of the pregnant woman's attending physician."
Some, but not all, of the sweep of Roe has been chipped away in subsequent Supreme Court decisions.
In 1992's Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, there was no majority opinion, but a majority of the justices reaffirmed the core holding of Roe -- that a woman has a privacy right to an abortion.
But except for a spousal notification, the court upheld a series of restrictions on abortion in a Pennsylvania law, including a requirement that a woman must indicate "informed consent" before the procedure.
Piecing together the different plurality opinions in Casey, five justices upheld Roe's core principle.
Four court members, Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Byron White, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, said they wanted "a re-examination of the 'fundamental right' Roe accorded to a woman's decision to abort a fetus, with the concomitant requirement that any state regulation of abortion survive 'strict scrutiny,' ... is warranted by the confusing and uncertain state of this [Supreme] Court's post-Roe decisional law." Scalia and Thomas remain on the court.
In 2000's Stenberg vs. Carhart, a 5-4 decision struck down Nebraska's ban on so-called partial-birth abortions, saying the criminal statute violated the principles outlined in Roe and Casey, and lacked the essential exemption for abortion because of the health of the woman.
In Stenberg, the majority opinion, signed on to by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, tried to explain the differences between the types of abortions.
"During a pregnancy's second trimester [12 to 24 weeks], the most common abortion procedure is 'dilation and evacuation,' which involves dilation of the cervix, removal of at least some fetal tissue using non-vacuum surgical instruments, and [after the 15th week] the potential need for instrumental dismemberment of the fetus or the collapse of fetal parts to facilitate evacuation from the uterus," the opinion said.
"When such dismemberment is necessary, it typically occurs as the doctor pulls a portion of the fetus through the cervix into the birth canal. The risks of mortality and complication [for the mother] that accompany D&E are significantly lower than those accompanying induced labor procedures [the next safest mid-second-trimester procedures].
"A variation of D&E, known as 'intact D&E,' is used after 16 weeks. It involves removing the fetus from the uterus through the cervix 'intact,' i.e., in one pass rather than several passes. The intact D&E proceeds in one of two ways, depending on whether the fetus presents head first or feet first. The feet-first method is known as 'dilation and extraction.' D&X is ordinarily associated with the term 'partial birth abortion.'"
In response to Stenhart, Congress in 2003 enacted the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.
In 2007, with swing vote O'Connor retired, a different 5-4 Supreme Court majority upheld the federal act, saying it "does not regulate the most common abortion procedures used in the first trimester of pregnancy, when the vast majority of abortions take place."
In the narrow majority opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy said: "The act's failure to allow the banned procedure's use where 'necessary, in appropriate medical judgment, for preservation of the [mother's] health,' ... does not have the effect of imposing an unconstitutional burden on the abortion right. The [Supreme] Court [majority] assumes the act's prohibition would be unconstitutional, under controlling precedents, if it 'subject[ed women] to significant health risks.' ...
"Whether the act creates such risks was, however, a contested factual question below: The evidence presented in the trial courts and before Congress demonstrates both sides have medical support for their positions. The court's precedents instruct that the act can survive facial attack when this medical uncertainty persists."
The contraception mandate of the Affordable Care Act requires for-profit companies to provide contraception as part of employees' health insurance. It too is under attack, primarily because of the morning after pill.
So-called morning after pills are actually taken immediately after intercourse to disrupt fertilization or ovulation.
The owners of an Oklahoma City company, Hobby Lobby, argued in court their religious beliefs required them to reject the contraception mandate.
"A new government healthcare mandate says that our family business must provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance," Hobby Lobby founder David Green said in a September opinion piece in USA Today. "Being Christians, we don't pay for drugs that might cause abortions. Which means that we don't cover emergency contraception, the morning after pill or the week-after pill. We believe doing so might end a life after the moment of conception, something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes against the biblical principles on which we have run this company since Day 1. If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million per day in government fines."
In contrast, the Obama administration argues contraception coverage is an essential healthcare right.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor refused to stay a ruling by the lower courts that Hobby Lobby, as a for-profit company, did not have a religious exemption from the contraception mandate. But Hobby Lobby vowed it would argue the issue through the appeals court process and then ask the full Supreme Court for review.
In another case, a federal appeals court granted a stay of the contraception mandate for a Highland, Ill., for-profit company based on its owners' religious convictions, creating a conflict among the appeals courts and making it more likely the Supreme Court eventually will have to deal with the issue.
At least 42 complaints have been filed against the contraception mandate -- mostly by hospitals and schools, but also 14 from for-profit companies.
How frequently do pregnancies end in abortions?
The Orlando Women's Center, which provides abortions and the morning after pill in Florida, says on its website nearly half of all pregnancies among American women are unintended, and 4 in 10 of those are terminated by abortion.
On Jan. 16, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released a poll that indicated "the public remains opposed to completely overturning the historic ruling on abortion [Roe]. More than 6 in 10 [63 percent] say they would not like to see the court completely overturn Roe vs. Wade decision, which established a woman's constitutional right to abortion at least in the first three months of pregnancy. Only about 3 in 10 [29 percent] would like to see the ruling overturned. These opinions are little changed from surveys conducted 10 and 20 years ago."
Not everyone knows what Roe was all about, the poll said. Sixty-two percent of Americans "know that Roe vs. Wade dealt with abortion rather than school desegregation or some other issue. But the rest either guess incorrectly [17 percent] or do not know what the case was about [20 percent]."
The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center was conducted Jan. 9-13 among 1,502 adults, and "finds that abortion is viewed as a less important issue than in the past. Currently, 53 percent say abortion 'is not that important compared to other issues,' up from 48 percent in 2009 and 32 percent in 2006. The percentage viewing abortion as a 'critical issue facing the country' fell from 28 percent in 2006 to 15 percent in 2009 and now stands at 18 percent."
The poll said the public is divided over "whether it is morally acceptable to have an abortion. Nearly half [47 percent] say it is morally wrong to have an abortion, while just 13 percent find this morally acceptable; 27 percent say this is not a moral issue and 9 percent volunteer that it depends on the situation. These opinions have changed little since 2006."
The margin of error was 2.9 percentage points.
Meanwhile, a poll released last Tuesday on the 40th anniversary of Roe indicates 70 percent of U.S. residents do not want the landmark on abortion ruling overturned.
The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found 54 percent of respondents said abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances, the highest number since the survey began asking that question 10 years ago. The 70 percent support for the ruling is the highest level since 1989.
At the same time, many states are making legal abortions harder to get, NBC reported. The poll surveyed 1,000 adults by telephone Jan. 12-15. The margin of error is 3.1 percentage points.


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Courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
The Taliban Islamic rulers of Afghanistan last week destroyed two monumental Buddhas carved out of limestone. The two Buddhas of Bamiyan had stood along the great Silk Road to China for at least 1,500 years, since before the birth of Islam.
The world is understandably horrified. Though most likely few of those protesting the destruction last week had ever heard of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, much less seen them, knowledge that they are no more is depressing.
One thinks of all the travelers along the historic route between Europe and Asia who passed the giant Buddhas over the centuries and the awe they must have felt at the sheer amount of human labor that went into their construction.
That awe will be felt no more.
The Taliban's minister of information and culture best summarized the lesson of last week's vicious wrecking: "It's easier to destroy than to build."
Meanwhile the Western world has been far less concerned about the threat to ancient artifacts much more central to its own cultural patrimony. Since 1999, massive construction work has been carried out on the Temple Mount by the Moslem Wakf. That work has employed heavy trucks and earthmoving equipment. Much of it has been unauthorized by the Israeli government and unsupervised by the Israel Antiquities Authority as required of the Antiquities Law.
From the beginning of the recent violence, archeological supervision has been nonexistent, even as the Wakf accelerated its paving of the Temple Mount Plaza and began digging for the first time since 1967 under the Dome of the Rock, which most scholars believe to be the site of the Temple.
This story has generated little or no international coverage, outside of specialty journals such as Biblical Archaeology Review.
The lack of interest of the international press, however, is, in this case, forgivable. With the notable exception of Nadav Shragai in Ha'aretz, and The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli media has not paid much attention to the story either. Apart from the efforts of the Committee for the Prevention of the Desecration of the Temple Mount and professional archeologists, there has been little public outcry.
At the outset of the Barak government, the Wakf was permitted, for the first time, to undertake massive digging on the Temple Mount in the process of turning an underground area known as Solomon's Stables into a mosque.
Over 6,000 tons of dirt was removed from the site without archeologists being given any opportunity to sift through it. Among the items dumped into the Kidron Valley was a meter-long stone fragment. According to one archeologist, that fragment was "the most important artifact ever recovered from the Temple Mount, and could very well have been from one of the entrances to the Temple itself."
This past January, Shragai reported of the digging of a long underground tunnel from al-Aksa Mosque, which is above the Hulda Gate to the Second Temple, eastward towards Solomon Stables. Danny Zaken, an Israel Radio journalist, testified that he saw the tunnel, including a grille in the floor through which an ancient floor was visible.
Another 1,500 tons of material was reported to have been removed from the Temple Mount in connection with this project, once again without any kind of archeological supervision.
Since 1948, residents of the Shikun D neighborhood of Beit She'an have been forbidden by law from so much as putting a shovel into their backyards because the neighborhood is an ancient Roman site. Yet prime minister Ehud Barak chose to ignore the advice of attorney-general Elyakim Rubinstein to bar heavy equipment from the Temple Mount and insist on archeological supervision at Judaism's holiest site.
In the midst of negotiating sovereignty of the Temple Mount, he feared doing anything that would call attention to the fact that the Wakf cannot be trusted with the preservation of Jewish holy sites.
Even as Hebrew University archeologist Eilat Mazar warned of Wakf intentions to destroy all evidence of a Jewish presence on the Temple Mount, and the mufti of Jerusalem proclaimed that the Temple Mount contains no remnants of Jewish history, Barak hesitated to prevent the Wakf from turning the entire plaza into a series of mosques.
The Wakf and the Taliban share a contempt for what they view as competing cultures to Islam, though the former are a good deal more public-relations savvy. Yet there is another lesson from the Taliban that may be of great significance to Israel's citizens. Jeff Jacoby pointed out in the Boston Globe last week that not only were the Taliban immune to the entreaties of the UN and world governments, they relished the horror their smashing excited. They sought to mock the non-Islamic world and its values.
In so doing, they revealed a strain of Islam that is irremediably hostile to the West.
Xenophobia caused by confrontation with technologically superior societies is not, to be sure, confined to Islam; it characterized China in the 18th and 19th centuries as well. But Islam seems particularly prone to it. The Ayatollah Khomeini's railing against the Great Satan America is but one recent precedent. Without understanding this strain of hatred for the West in hard-line Islam, we cannot fully appreciate the hatred that our presence here generates.
George Will wisely commented, at the outset of the renewed violence:, "It's not that Israel is being provocative; Israel's being is provocative."
But it is not just Israel's existence that infuriates; it is the presence of Jews here at all. The Arabs of Palestine watched as Jews from the West drained unarable swamps. The existence of a society in their midst, with a per-capita gross national product more than 10 times that of its Arab neighbors, is a constant reminder of their failures.
No wonder that Shimon Peres's vision of a New Middle East, in which Israel would join the Moslem League, struck such horror into Arab hearts. They feared Israel's economic hegemony in the region.
The Taliban's wrecking of the Bamiyan Buddhas and its harboring of Osama bin Laden, the most wanted international terrorist, are of a piece. Both are means of lashing out at the technologically superior West and the values that gave rise to that superiority.
It is the same hatred directed at us.


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As we look forward to what 2014 has in store for us, we want to reflect on and appreciate the highlights of 2013. The Snugabellas had a busy year full of growth, learning moments, and a lot of fun.
1. We started the year on a high note with the news that PumpEase was a finalist for a 2013 About.com Reader's Choice Award for Favourite Breastfeeding Product. While we didn't win top prize, it was an honour to be nominated (that phrase is a cliché because it's true!).
2. Early 2013 saw Snugabell bring our US Wholesale business back in house. There have been a few bumps in the road but the decision to bring our US Retail Partners back under our wing has felt right from Day One. We value the opportunity to connect with our retailers on a more personal level, and love that we can once again provide customer service and order assistance on a wholesale level.
3. We were excited to introduce PumpEase to Babies R Us in the Spring.
4. The Snugabell product family expanded by two this year with the debut of our PumpEase Wet Bags and Through A Child's Eyes Keepsake Colouring Book.
5. In July the Snugabellas left their worries (and kids and partners!) behind for three fun-filled days in Seattle. We filled our bellies with delicious food, walked all over the city (including a fascinating tour of the underground) and saw Paul McCartney at Safeco Field! It was a wonderful, relaxing weekend that really reinforced the friendships we have "outside the office."
6. We spent the summer and autumn months polling YOU, our wonderful Facebook and Twitter followers, for input on what our new print should look like and what it should be named. We had so much fun interacting with all of you and considering your suggestions. The end result of our creative collaboration was, of course, our cheeky new print: TaTa Turquoise! The process was so much fun that we hope to repeat it in the (not so distant!) future. (Maybe it will become an annual thing? Stay tuned to find out!)
7. We were honoured to be featured by Elacta European Lactation Consultants Alliance. It was exciting to spread the PumpEase love to another continent (and in another language!).
8. After the hustle and bustle of our Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, we paid tribute to the late Dr John Kennell by donating a portion of our sales to La Leche League Canada as part of our Giving Tuesday Canada initiative. We're already brainstorming how we can participate in Giving Tuesday Canada again this year!
9. We said a fond farewell to the old and welcomed the new… branding, that is. We've been slowly rolling out our new look and are happy to say that the Snugabell re-brand is almost complete! If you're a retailer, please feel free to contact us for updated images and logos to use.
10. Our Express Mail subscription program continued to grow with over 200 FREE breastmilk storage guidelines fridge magnets mailed to new subscribers!
It's so nice to mull over the previous year and move forward with a sure step and a head full of ideas! We're excited to welcome 2014 and can't wait to share our successes and adventures with you. We are so grateful for you, our vibrant community of mamas and mamas-to-be, for lending your voice and your support to the beauty of breastfeeding. If you haven't already, join us on Facebook or Twitter; we'd love to say hello!


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Brexit Jargon Buster
An A-Z of need-to-know terms for businesses that export and import to successfully navigate Brexit
Sets out the right and the process for a member state to withdraw from the EU, with two year's notice of withdrawal.
The term used to describe the UK's withdrawal from the EU, which follows the outcome of a referendum held in June 2016. The UK is set to leave the EU at 11pm on October 31st 2019*.
So-called 'backstop proposals' set out the UK's plan for temporary customs arrangements with the EU if a new permanent deal is not ready in time. They are intended to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, which is an EU member.
EU member states follow the same standards and regulations for goods. The UK Government wants to follow a "common rulebook" by aligning UK legislation on goods with the EU's standards and regulations. The UK Government hopes the plan will protect the supply chains of firms such as car manufacturers, while also reducing trade frictions at the UK-EU border.
The EU's 28 member countries, plus a number of smaller states, have a trade agreement not to impose customs tariffs on goods moving between EU member states. A common tariff is applied to goods imported from outside the EU. The UK Government has said the UK will leave the EU customs union when it exits the EU.
The European Economic Area includes the 28 EU countries plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. It is an internal market governed by the EU's single market rules.
The European Free Trade Association includes Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. It used to be a much bigger organisation but other members left as they joined the EU.
A political and economic union of 28 countries, namely: Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; United Kingdom. It was established in 1957.
Refers to the EU countries (19 of the 28 member states) which have adopted the Euro as their currency.
The government's plan for post-Brexit customs arrangements with the EU. The FCA would see goods coming into the UK but destined for the EU charged an EU tariff. Goods intended to remain in the UK would be charged the UK's own tariff, which could be set differently to that of the EU's. The plan relies on technology to identify the end destination of goods arriving in the UK and, it is hoped, avoid customs checks in Ireland.
The freedoms of movement of goods, services, people and capital within the EU without internal barriers, subject to limited exceptions.
An agreement between countries which reduces barriers to trade, including tariffs and regulations.
The term used to describe a Brexit scenario in which the UK would give up its access to the European single market and customs union as well as the EU. The arrangement would prioritise giving the UK full control over its borders, making new trade deals and applying laws within its own territory.
The scenario in which the UK leaves the EU without agreement on the terms of its withdrawal and future trading arrangements. UK trade with the EU will be on WTO terms. Free circulation of goods between the UK and EU would end so businesses would have to apply the same customs and excise rules as countries outside the EU.
The right of a trader in the EU or EEA to conduct business in another EU/EEA state based on its home-state authorisation and on the EU's free movement rules.
A trade area without internal borders that guarantees the free movement of people, goods, services and capital throughout its territory. The European Single Market encompasses all EU member states and four other countries which have certain opt-outs. The UK Government has said the UK will leave the European single market when it exits the EU.
A Brexit scenario in which the UK could potentially remain in the European single market and customs union. The UK's relationship with the EU would be kept as close as possible to the existing arrangements. The UK would no longer be a member of the EU and would not have a seat on the European Council. It would lose its MEPs and its European Commissioner. But goods and potentially services would be traded with the remaining EU states on a tariff-free basis and financial organisations would keep their "passporting" rights to sell services and operate within the EU.
The body that regulates international trade between different countries. If there is a 'no deal' Brexit, UK trade with the EU will be on WTO terms.
Alternative Brexit models
The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a free trade agreement between the EU and Canada which removes many tariffs and barriers to trade. It is a model frequently referenced during discussions about Brexit.
A model that has been discussed as a possible alternative for the UK to EU membership. While not a member of the EU, Norway is a member of the European Economic Area, allowing the country to be part of the EU single market, and in return contributes to the EU budget, accepts most EU laws and allows free movement of people.
Covers some but not all areas of trade Switzerland also makes a financial contribution but smaller than Norway's to the EU. It does not have a general duty to apply EU laws but does have to implement some EU regulations to enable trade. Freedom of movement applies.
Turkey is not part of the EEA or EFTA but does have a customs union with the EU. There are no tariffs or quotas on industrial goods it sends to EU countries. The customs union does not apply to services or to agricultural goods. Turkey must apply the EU's common external tariff to goods it imports from non-EU countries. It must align its rules and standards to those of the EU in areas in which it is able to freely trade.
Deal terms
The government has said the UK will leave the EU's single market and customs union when it exits the EU. However, it is hoping to negotiate an economic agreement with the EU for the movement of goods with minimum obstructions.
The Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Bill will allow the UK to set its own tariff on leaving the EU, deal or no deal. This will replace the EU Common Customs Tariff, the tariff which currently applies to goods imported from outside the EU, for imports to the UK.
No Deal terms
In the event of a 'no deal' Brexit, free circulation of goods between the UK and EU would end so businesses would have to apply the same customs and excise rules as countries outside the EU. Businesses would need to provide import or export declarations, revise their International Terms and Conditions of Service to reflect they are an importer or exporter, and provide an import or export licence for controlled goods. Custom checks may be carried out and VAT and any import duties would be payable. The carrier of the goods would have to make entry or exit safety and security declarations.
In a 'no deal' scenario, a business will need to register for an EORI number before importing or exporting goods to or from the EU. The UK Government has said it will make further information on this available later in 2018.
The EU-wide computerised monitoring system would no longer be used to control suspended movements between the EU and UK in the event of a 'no deal' Brexit, but would be used to control the movement of duty suspended excise goods within the UK.
The ECJU is the part of the Department for International Trade responsible for the UK's system of export controls and licensing for military and dual-use items (those with both military and civilian uses). The export within the EU of many of these items does not currently require a licence but would in the event of a 'no deal' Brexit.
Failure to secure a free trade agreement in a 'no deal' scenario will mean that UK trade with the EU will be on WTO terms. The UK and EU would apply to each other the tariffs and other trade restrictions they apply to the rest of the world. This is because WTO rules allow countries to discriminate in favour of a trade partner only in a limited number of circumstances, including a full bilateral trade deal.
*Correct at time of publishing but subject to change.
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43470987
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-hard-soft-what-is-the-difference-uk-eu-single-market-freedom-movement-theresa-may-a7342591.html
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-remedies-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/trade-remedies-if-theres-no-brexit-deal
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trading-with-the-eu-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/trading-with-the-eu-if-theres-no-brexit-deal
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/classifying-your-goods-in-the-uk-trade-tariff-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/classifying-your-goods-in-the-uk-trade-tariff-if-theres-a-no-brexit-deal
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/excise-movement-and-control-system-how-to-register-and-use
- https://www.gov.uk/starting-to-import/importing-from-noneu-countries
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exporting-controlled-goods-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/exporting-controlled-goods-if-theres-no-brexit-deal
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/export-control-organisation
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36639261


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All new Kia's come with a 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty. This 2020 Kia Sorento is located at Cable Dahmer Kia.
AWD, ABS brakes, Cruise Control, Exterior Parking Camera Rear, Fully automatic headlights, Outside temperature display, Radio: AM/FM/MP3 Audio System, Remote Keyless Entry, Telescoping steering wheel, Tilt steering wheel, YES Essentials Cloth Seat Trim.
Contact us online or give us a call at (816) 558-6700 to have your questions answered, obtain a price quote for this vehicle, or schedule your test drive today! Price does not include tax, title, license, destination, or administration fee. Installed accessories are not included. Price does include the following rebates:$400 - Military Program. Exp. 09/30/2020 $4500 - Kia Customer Cash. Exp. 09/30/2020
An ideology still in motion since its 1963 inception. It's the Cable-Dahmer mission statement we lean on:
It is our policy to provide a full range of products and services to all of our customers. These products and services will be priced reasonably and delivered with customer satisfaction as our number one goal.
All dealership employees will be fully trained and will conduct business in a positive and professional manner. Our goal is to create an atmosphere in which our employees can develop to their fullest potential, and the company can maintain an excellent reputation, thus continuing to be a leader in our community. Come on by our Lee's Summit Kia location and let our history just be the tipping point to how we can best service your needs.
• Our "no-worries" exchange on pre-owned purchases
• Unlimited Mileage 5 Year Used Car Limited Powertrain Warranty*
• Complimentary Loaner
• Guaranteed Fast Service
• Lifetime Warranty on Body Shop Repairs
• Free Lifetime Nitrogen Tire Refill
• Complimentary Loaner Vehicles
• Free Annual Missouri State Inspection
While dealer strives to ensure the accuracy of pricing and other information, unintentional pricing, calculation, or typographical errors may occur and customer acknowledges that dealer is not responsible for any such errors. All models may be subject to additional markup of $1,888 for 3M protection package, nitrogen for life, and SWAT GPS recovery system. Vehicle pricing includes $1,000 trade assistance that requires trade of 2012 or newer with under 100k miles and may require dealer arranged financing. Tax, title, license, and dealer admin fee of $199 are not included in vehicle prices shown and must be paid by customer.
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† Based on 2020 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
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816-558-6700Call Now
400 NE Colbern Road • Lee's Summit, MO 64086Get Directions
Open Today! Sales: 9am-6pm
Open Today! Service: 7am-6pm